Sacred Emotion
by ASummerBreeze
Summary: Set during Mulan II. Shang and Mulan quickly realize breaking off their engagement wasn't for the best, but there's a long, bumpy road between Qui Gong and Happily Ever After. Rated for langauge.
1. Chapter 1

Sacred Emotion

Chapter One

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><p>AN- I watched Mulan II on you tube, and immediately was struck with this idea. I don't know if anyone will even read this, but I need to get this story out. It wasn't the best sequel ever (they villainized Mushu for half the flick) but there were so many moments I loved. This deviates from the ending, and begins right after Shang and Mulan agree to break off their engagement.<p>

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><p>"Keep a sharp eye," She heard Shang say, although she had begun to lag behind the group some and his words were distant to her. "This is bandit country." Her eyes raised to him, slightly. He was tall as ever on his horse, although most of the ride he kept his head lowered. She didn't really understand how they had gone from blissfully celebrating their engagement to just finishing this mission so they could part ways. Mulan had thought, for one, brief moment, that she had proved her matchmaker wrong. She would be a bridge. She was going to have a big wedding and children.<p>

And now she was sitting at the back of their makeshift caravan, listening to the guys flirting with the princesses, and yearning for Shang's comfort. Mulan remembered that moment in the palace, staring down Shan-Yu, waiting for the perfect moment to light that last rocket. She remembered the cold, of the earth and of the Hun's eyes. A similar cold was beginning to fill her belly the more she thought about the night's events, and she shamefully hid her gaze in case anyone in the front were to turn and look at her.

Clutching her pendant in her hand, unaware that Shang was doing the same, Mulan gasped as an arrow flew past her face. The surprise threw her off, entirely, and she landed on her bottom as enemies began to emerge. "It's an ambush!" She cried, getting onto her feet and withdrawing her sword in time to throw off the attack of one of the men. Khan was halfway down past the others by then, spooked, and Mushu stuck his head out of Mulan's bag. "Oh no!"

As she took him down, Mulan could hear the others fighting to keep the princesses safe, and somehow she felt better knowing that was being accomplished. Victorious, she turned to look as Ling, Yao and Chien-Po escorted the princesses to safety over the bridge. Shang was close behind, but he turned suddenly as two bandits came up on both of Mulan's sides, and she yelled as she swung herself to fight them off.

He moved swiftly to defend her, and knocked one of them past their wits in one blow. "What a pretty little comb," He pulled it from her hair and knocked Shang back. "And a pretty little necklace too…"

"Back off or I'll slice you in two.."

To her surprise, he backhanded her, and she nearly dropped to the ground in shock. "Mind your tongue, woman!"

"Mulan…"

"Shang," She watched him get up, dizzied by the attack, and the brute wasn't going to put much more effort into his looting. He grabbed Mulan by her mother's chain and dragged her over to the edge of the land aside from the footbridge. She tried to fight him off, but he was choking her, and the lack of oxygen was quickly making her drowsy. She thought, if this was death, it felt a lot like going to sleep. Perhaps Shang would even tell the Emperor she died with honor if she gave her life for the princesses.

She heard him approach the bandit more than she saw him, and when he kicked him the man toppled over her and over the ledge. Mulan could breathe again, but his hand quickly found her ankle, and she was dragged over partially. "Lemme go!"

"You're mine, army bitch." Shang made a flying leap toward her and landed in front of her on his belly. He grasped her hand, but her weight combined with the bandit made it too easy to pull him toward the edge too. They were both going to die, and the mission, which she knew, he cared so deeply about completing, would fail. In that moment, gazing into his eyes, she knew it wasn't that he cared about his work more. He was just a good man. He was a great general. He would have made a wonderful husband and she knew, he'd make a doting father one day. She smiled at him, past the tears that were dripping from her eyes now. "I love you, Li Shang."

"No," Tears slid from his own eyes and he tried to pull her over, but she was too heavy with the man hanging from her ankle. "Mulan, please. I'm sorry. I don't care how different we are…"

"Shang…"

"I love you too, Fa Mulan. I won't let you die like this…" He turned to see their friends watching with horror. "Yao, Chien-Po, help…"

Mulan's hand was sweaty, from fear, and from strain. She couldn't hold on long enough for the others to form a plan so she called Shang to look at her again and smiled at him. "Kiss me."

He obliged, assuming it would encourage her to hold on. And he poured his heart and soul into the kiss, hoping she would feel his love and how sorry he was for what he had said. In reality, it was all she needed to let go. He had turned his head once again, and she found her opportunity. Spreading her fingers to straighten out, she slipped from Shang's grasp and plummeted to the river below. He watched in horror as her beautiful face disappeared behind fog, and swore he could hear her clothes fluttering in the breeze all the way to the bitter end.

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><p>There was no time to search the waters, even though Shang would have given his own life for the chance to find her alive. His experience in war told him better. If the fall didn't kill her, the rocks in the water would. Or would render her unconscious, and then she'd drown. He hoped once he delivered the princesses they could at least retriever her to take home to her parents and lay her to rest properly.<p>

But that night, he did not rest. For hours he lay with her sword glistening at his side as the rain poured. Pictured her face on the cold steel, and remembered the warmth of her kiss and the sadness in her eyes as she head fell. He stood a while before dawn and planted her sword in the dirt, as he had his father's just over a month ago. He had never expected to suffer so much loss, especially once he had decided that he wanted Mulan to be his family.

The princesses were wracked with sobs most of the night, and no one really slept, but they were just outside of Qui Gong. There was no sense in stopping now. When dawn arrived, the princesses offered to complete their mission and fulfill their vow, and their guards did not dispute this. Yet somehow Shang couldn't imagine delivering them to the emperor there. He shook his head, his fingers delicately tracing the edge of Mulan's blade. "No, your orders are to take care of one another, as I should have cared for her."

He stood, and shook his head with a determined scowl. "I will finish my mission."

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><p>Mulan had expected death to be much darker than this. At least the dying part. As the water carried her about, and she began to come to and saw the cloudy floating miles above her, she realized that death had not overcome her. Not yet, anyway. There was still a chance. She was too weak to swim, but it wasn't long before she felt ground brushing her back, and realized the water had carried her to a low little scoop of land. Safe, but freezing, she shivered as she lay in view of the sun, letting it dry her out.<p>

She wasn't sure how long she had been there before Khan appeared and nuzzled her with his nose. "Good boy," She told him gently, patting his muzzle as he lay next to her to keep her warm. After a while, she sat up, coughed up some water, and began to rummage around for food. Anything. As if he could read her mind, Mushu stuck his head out of her bag, his eyes full of guilt. "I got…a pomegranate?"

"Please," She murmured, reaching for the fruit, which he carried to her on scurrying feet. He used his claws to open it and watched her eat it before he cleaned her up.

"Mulan, Shang was going to go to Qui Gong alone. He left the princesses with the guards…"

She was exhausted, but she looked up at the mountain that Shang had said he'd take them over, carefully climbing onto Khan's back before the animal stood up. "I have to go find him. I need…him." Her guardian didn't argue with her, nor did he drop the bombshell that he had done everything to sabotage them. He didn't want to upset her in the state she was in. Instead, he tried to think of something he could do to help her once they reached the other kingdom.


	2. Chapter 2

Sacred Emotion

Chapter Two

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><p>It almost took too long to get to Qui-Gong. She had to be too late. And yet when she arrived everything seemed…at a standstill. No joyous celebrations for the marriages of the princes and princesses and no anger at their non-arrival. They still seemed to be waiting. Mulan hoped she had time to become more presentable. She traded what little money she had in her pack for food and Mushu found her some clothing that wasn't torn and water-logged. After taming her hair, she made her way to the palace.<p>

And once she arrived, she learned why the people all seemed so anxious. Unable to deliver the princesses because of a tragic accident, Shang had taken Lord Qin's advisors aside to discuss some sort of bargain with them. She assumed it had something to do with the military there. Lord Qin gladly allowed her an audience as soon as he heard (or rather, one of his staff heard) that the great Fa Mulan, savior of China wished to speak with him.

She had only been waiting a few moments when he arrived, and she quickly dropped to bow to him. "Your Excellency…"

"Fa Mulan," He bowed respectfully, but only slightly. "How can I be of assistance to you?"

"I was hoping we could discuss General Li's offer…" The Priest stared at her, and so she continued. "Concerning your armed forces…"

He shook his head. "But, Fa Mulan, there has been no such offer." It was her turn to stare, and his to elaborate. "Since the General could not deliver princesses for my sons to wed, he delivered himself for my only daughter."

They both turned to watch as decorators quickly set to work. Mulan swallowed hard past guilt, and sadness. Shang had thought she had died, and he was giving himself to a loveless marriage. She couldn't let that happen. She looked at the Lord with a gentle smile. "I can't imagine that's a fair trade."

He sighed and nodded his agreement. "But he seemed to really feel strongly for the cause. And I am not made of stone. Jie is a wonderful girl, she will do this."

Mulan reached to pat his arm. "Spare your Princess, Lord Qin. I'll marry one of your sons instead."

"My son married to the hero of China?" He watched her closely for a moment, then nodded. "It shall be done." He moved to go inform his eldest and then paused. "But what do I say to General Shang?"

"Nothing," She told him quickly. "Just…don't tell him what's happening. Send him to get some rest. It'll happen quietly. Tonight."

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><p>Mulan carefully slipped her beloved blossom comb into her hair and gazed at her reflection. She wasn't sure it was ever going to change. In less than an hour, her only duty would be to bear sons to Prince Jeeki. She cringed at the thought and so, she shook her head. Glancing at Mushu, who was watching sadly from the table, she smiled. "I thought you'd be drowning me in pink on my wedding day."<p>

"I thought so too," Mushu replied softly. "I thought you'd be thrilled."

She nodded and bent to kiss his little head. "I would have. Had I been his."

"Oh, Mulan. Why don't you just go find him? Why don't you both just forget Qui-Gong?" Mushu smiled a little. "General Li Shang's army can defeat any invasion. We don't need any alliance!"

She nodded. "It's true. But he'd never see it that way. He'd feel like a failure and I can't live with that. I can't let him feel that way."

The curtain to her door began to draw up, and so she walked over to stand in front of it. "I'll see you around, my old friend."

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><p>Shang was just sitting on the edge of his bed, shaking his head. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't slept. He closed his eyes and saw her on the mountain in the snow, begging him not to leave her behind. She had done it for Fa Zhu. And after coming to know and respect the old veteran, Shang completely understood her dedication to the old man. Just as he had been dedicated to his.<p>

There was a knock on his door, and he glanced up. Confused, he stood and shuffled to open it, smiling grimly at the trio of soldiers there. "Hi."

"General," Yao started, then stopped. Ling sighed.

"Why are you here? You should be stopping all of this."

He shook his head. "Afraid you're all a bit ahead. I'm not due to marry Princess Jie until tomorrow."

"You're not due to marry dat princess at all anymores!" Yao exclaimed, throwing his arms open in exasperation. "Fa Mulan is marrying that pre-pubescent prince as we SPEAK."

Shang frowned and stuck his head out of the little cottage he had been set up in. He could see that the palace was brightly lit, and that just confused him more. "But…Mulan is…I saw her…"

"It would appear that we underestimated Fa Mulan," Chien Po chimed in, glancing away from his general. "And it would appear that she loves you very, very much."

"Mulan," He breathed, joy filling him as he slipped into boots and began to make a mad dash for town when he froze. Joy was replaced with dread. "Oh, no." He was off in that instant, straight down to the palace where he managed to sneak past the poor excuses for guards. "MULAN!"

Mulan was just sipping from the chalice as Shang burst into the ceremony, and Jeeki ducked out of the way to play with his finger trap. Lord Qin sighed. "I'm sorry, general. But the marriage has been completed." Everyone was already filing out, and Mulan's eyes were focused on the carpeting, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

Shang didn't care what she was to whom, he hurried over and cupped her face in his hand. "Oh Mulan, why would you do this? "

"She doesn't have permission to speak to _you,_" Jeeki chided, moving with purpose, as if to remove Shang from her before he shot the littler man a glare. Mulan's husband relented, at least for the time being.

"Princess Mulan will be a great asset to our kingdom," The Lord nodded. "So long as she bears Jeeki a son within twelve moons."

Even Mulan's head snapped up to look at the priest, and Shang's grip tightened on her arms. "That's insane!"

The priest motioned to cut him off. "Either she bears him a son, or she faces the consequences. This is her marriage vow." He motioned toward Mulan's chamber. "Tonight, you begin your efforts."

"Shang," She whispered when the other men turned away. "Trust me." He realized there was more to it all than met the eye when she said that, and she squeezed his hands as she started to turn away. "I love you," She whispered, parting their touch begrudgingly as she retreated back into the palace. Shang didn't look away until she was gone, and only then did he see the tiny scroll in his hands. He unfolded the thin paper and looked at her carefully formed figures.

_"Shang, meet me at my window in two hours time."_

He stuck the paper into his pocket and glanced up at the window, lit by a lamp just now. Whatever she was thinking, he had to trust that it would work. Mulan had not let him down in the past.


End file.
